The Pokemon Saga Book 1: Beginnings in Kanto
by MasterBuizel
Summary: This is the story of Ash, Misty, Brock, and Adam, AKA me, as they journey through the Kanto region. follows the anime for the most part, but a little different.
1. Chapter 1

**Well folks, I present to you the first chapter of "Pokemon: The Kanto Saga". I was rushing to get this first chapter done today, Since according to Bulbapedia, April 1st is the day that the journey starts for trainers in Kanto. So I figured that I should get it put up on the same day. Without further ado, Chapter 1.**

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I probably ever, own Pokemon. This fine universe, and all characters in it, are the creation of Mr. Satoshi Tajiri.**

**Chapter 1**

A harsh cawing rang through the air, awakening me abruptly. With a strangled shout, I fell off my bed, and crashed hard onto the floor below. I lay there, my back aching, the screech still echoing around me.

"Aw, shut up Dodrio!" I yelled out the window, as I hesitantly got to my feet. Dodrio kept at it, cawing his head off like it was the only thing that mattered to him in the world. I was about to run outside and silence it for a good long while, when a deafening buzzing came from my night desk. I turned to see my alarm clock ringing like mad, bouncing in the process. I sighed, seeing no sense in attempting to fall back asleep, and turned the alarm off. Dodrio had stopped in the middle of all this, which was good, because the last thing I wanted was a headache at 8:30 in the morning, and I didn't think the people of Pallet would be too happy if I killed Dodrio.

Frowning, I turned back to my clock, wondering why I had set it in the first place. I had no reason to be up before 9 on a Satur... wait a minute.. Saturday! It was the day Professor was giving out the starter Pokemon!

"Damn!" I cried, rushing to my dresser and pulling out a set of clothes; a pair of jeans, plain black t-shirt, and my gray and blue sweater. I grabbed my backpack off the desk chair, thanking the Legendaries I had had the sense to pack it the night before. I dashed to the bathroom, and tried to run a comb through my untidy brown hair. It did little help; in fact, I'm pretty sure I made it worse. Ah, well.

I ran downstairs and into the kitchen, to see mom in front of the coffee maker, still in her house coat.

"Morning mom," I said cheerfully, putting two slices of bread in the toaster. She turned, and smiled slightly as she poured the cup of coffee.

"Morning sweetie," she replied, her voice laden with tiredness. "I was just about to come wake you, but judging from the noise in your room and the racket Dodrio was making outside, I figured I didn't need to."

"Right about that." I grinned, grabbing the toast that had just popped up. "I gotta get going to the Professor's lab, though."

"okay, honey. I'll be there in half an hour so when you start your..." At this, she let out a huge yawn, "big journey. I just need to..." Another yawn, "gain full conciousness first."

"Kay mom, I'll see you then," I stated, giving her a kiss on the cheek, and dashed out the front door. She sighed, staring at the door I had just exited.

"So much like his father," she muttered, downing the rest of her coffee.

I started walking towards the Professor's lab, anxious to get my first Pokemon. It was a bright and sunny April morning, with the flowers blooming everywhere, and Pidgey nesting in the trees. Mt. Silver towered mighty and proud to the west, the definitive divider between the regions of Kanto and Johto. I started to jog, wanting to get my Pokemon more and more with each step I took. At last, I saw the labratory, sitting atop the hill. Approaching, I noticed another boy standing at the gate, with about a dozen teenage girls in cheerleader attire waiting with him.

"Morning Gary," I called, causing him to turn , a casual smirk on his face.

"Hey Adam," he replied, walking towards me. "Here for the starter, huh?"

"You bet," I said, following him to the gate. "Did you just get here?"

"Yup, I was just about to go in and get my first Pokemon from Gramps. Care to join me?"

"Sure." I answered, opening the gate.

We entered the lab, to find Professor Oak standing there, almost like he was waiting for us, which made sense.

"Good morning, boys!" Oak said joyously, to which Gary and I replied with, "hello Professor" and "hey Gramps." "As I can guess, you are here for your first Pokemon, right?" Oak asked, which caused me to let a small sigh to escape my lips, and for Gary to roll his eyes.

"Yes, Grandpa," Gary replied, while I was trying hard not to laugh. "This is the day we start our journey, isn't it?" At this he raised an eyebrow. The Professor, who had realized that he had asked a rather pointless question, answered rather quickly, "Yes, yes it is. Come over here and you can decide." He led us to the table, and I noticed there were only two Poke Balls, when there should have been three. I turned to the Professor and asked, "Who got the first Pokemon, sir?"

At this, Oak chuckled, and replied, "well, a girl showed up here very early this morning, just before 7, in fact. She was very excited to the starter. i told her she could choose her's then if she wanted to. She left for Viridian City about an hour ago."

"What was the girl's name?" i asked innocently, already knowing full well who it was. "Ah yes, she mentioned that. I believe she said her name was Leaf." As soon as Professor Oak said the name, Gary paled to a colour that resembled curdled milk, and started to open and close his mouth slightly. I (and many of the kids in town, for that matter) knew that Gary had had a huge crush on Leaf for a while now. I always enjoyed bringing her name up and watching Gary gasp like a Magikarp out of water. It was just so hilarious. "Gah... ah... could we pick our starters now Gramps?" Gary asked hurriedly, obviously quite embarrassed. Oak frowned slightly, not entirely sure why his grandson was so flustered, but he shrugged it off and moved to stand next to the table. "There are two remaining Pokemon for you: Charmander and Squirtle. You two can decide who gets who." Gary and I looked at each other, unsure of how to choose. "Rock-paper-scissors?" I suggested, which to me seemed like the fairest way to decide. "Sounds good," Gary said, and we got into position. A few seconds later, we had our pick; Gary had rock, I had scissors.

"I always have the worst luck," I muttered, while Gary hooted gleefully.

"Alright!" he cried, grabbing the Pokeball on the left. "I choose you, Squirtle!"

I groaned inwardly at Gary's choice, slightly disappointed. I was hoping to have a Squirtle as my starter. Ever since I had first seen a picture of the Tinyturtle Pokemon, I knew I wanted one on my team when I started my journey. I wasn't overly upset though; I had nothing against Charmander, and I could always catch a wild Squirtle.

"Well then, it seems Charmander is mine," I said happily, grabbing the last Poke Ball off the table, the one that contained my first Pokemon partner.

Gary and I both threw our Poke Balls up, calling the names of our new friends.

"Charmander, I choose you!"

"Come on out, Squirtle!"

The balls flashed, and the two Pokemon landed on the floor, staring up at us expectantly.

"Squirtle squirt," Squirtle cried happily, waddling over to stand beside Gary.  
"Char Charmander, char!" My Charmander leapt towards me, grabbing tightly onto my leg.

"Hey there, little buddy," I said cheerfully, rubbing his head. "You're gonna be travelling with me now, kay?"

"Char." It raised its head, and licked my hand. I laughed, knowing I would enjoy travelling with it.

The Professor spoke up behind me, snapping my attention away from the Pokemon. He was holding a device the size of a small book in each hand, upon which rested several more Poke Balls.

"Here are your Pokedexes," he explained, handing one to each of us. "They can be used to scan any Pokemon you come across on your travels. And of course, more Poke Balls so you can catch wild Pokemon you come across."

"Thanks, Professor," I said, while Gary simply nodded. I turned back to my Charmander and opened the Pokedex, pointing it at the small reptile. A picture of Charmander appeared on the screen, and a mechanical voice droned out:

_'Charmander, the Lizard Pokemon. It obviously prefers hot places. When it rains, steam is said to sprout from the tip of it's tail. This Pokemon is male, has normal colouration, and knows the moves Scratch and Growl.'_

"Cool!" I exclaimed, as I glanced over at Gary. He was checking his squirtle as well. The same male voice started up, giving Squirtle's information.

_'Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokemon. After birth, its back swells and hardens into a shell. It powerfully sprays foam from its mouth. This Pokemon is male, has normal colouration, and knows the moves Tackle and Withdraw.'_

"Nice Squirtle, Oak,"I said, bumping Gary with my elbow. "You think you'll manage in gym battles?"

Gary looked at me, a trademark smirk plastered on his face. "Much better than you'll do with Charmander, Becker. I bet you won't get past the third gym."

"Don't count on it bro. Come on, we should get going. I want to make it to Virdian before nightfall."

"Ya gotta point," he agreed, clipping the Poke Balls to his belt and tucking the Pokedex into his backpack.

We started towards the door, and Gary turned to call over his shoulder. "Thanks for the Pokemon, Gramps."

"Have a good journey, you two! I wish you the best of luck!" Professor Oak called back, before turning to his work.

Gary and I stepped through the front door, to find a huge farewell trop waiting at the bottom of the hill. Nearly a quarter of the town was there, I figured; my mom, all of my friends and their families, even Mr. Sanders, the owner of the deli shop down the street. Gary's cheerleaders were still there, waiting next to a red sports car, with a chauffeur in the driver's seat. Gary and I rushed down the hill and through the gate, to be horded by the many people. My mother struggled against the crowd towards me, and wrapped me in a tight hug that nearly choked me to death.

"I hope you have a wonderful journey, sweetie," she exclaimed, releasing me from her iron grip. "You'll call sometimes, won't you?"

"Sure mom. I'll call as soon as I get to the Viridian City Pokemon Center."

"I hope you have fun, Adam," another voice piped up. I turned to see jamie, the little sister of my friend Jeremy.

"I plan on it, kiddo." I said, ruffling her hair. Jeremy approached behind her, holding out a hand for a high five, to which I obliged. Jeremy was nine, and would be going on his Pokemon journey next season.

"Talk to you later, guys," I said, moving through the crowd towards Gary. his cheerleaders were doing their job, cheerleading, singing a short chant to the crowd.

"Gary, Gary, he's our man. if he can't do it, no one can. Go... Gary!"

As I approached him, a loud voice came from in the crowd; "Excuse me, pardon me. Out of my way please!"

Another kid, Gary and my age, burst through the girls, causing them to fall, grumbling angrily. Without looking where he was going, he charged headlong into Gary, and bounced back, landing in the dust. The boy was still clad in green and yellow pajamas, and his raven black hair stuck out in every direction, making mine look neat in comparison.

"Hey, watch it!" Gary yelled, looking down at him, before noticing who it was. "Oh, it's Ash! I guess it's better to show up late, rather than not at all."

"Gary?" Ash asked hesitantly, rising to his feet.

"Mr. Gary to you, Ashy-boy. Well, at least you have the honour of seeing my great Pokemon."

"You have a Pokemon already?"

"Yeah," Gary replied, "In fact, Adam and I here just got the last two."

Ash turned to me, worry evident on his face. He asked me, with quite a bit of doubt in his voice,"You two got the last Pokemon?"

I gave Ash a sympathetic face. "Sorry, Ash. Gary and I got the last ones."

He turned back to Gary, crestfallen, as the cheerleaders started up their chant again.

"Thank you, thank you!" He called out, taking a few half bows. "I promise to do all of you in Pallet proud, and to become a Pokemon Master!" The crowd cheered at this.

I growled, irritated at Gary's cocky demeanor. I knew he was just trying to make Ash more disappointed. The two were intense rivals, and often fought back and forth like this.

"Hey Gary, can I ask which kind of Pokemon you got?" Ash piped up, as the crowd quieted a bit. Gary raised an eyebrow at this, and snapped, "None of your business! If you had showed up on time, you would have seen for yourself that I got the best pick. It helps when your grandfather is in the Pokemon business, hmm?"

He jumped into the sports car, and the driver drove off slowly, the group following suit. Ash continued to steam at Gary's showboating.

"I'll show him! "He mumbled.

"Hey, you never know, Oak might have one more Pokemon up there," I remarked. Ash looked up expectantly at this, as speak of the devil, the Professor looked out of the gate. "So, you decided to show up after all." Ash jumped, and turned back to Oak, grinning widely to cover his embarrassment.

"Professor Oak! Where's my Pokemon?" "Your Pokemon?"

"Yes! I'm ready."

"Ready for bed, it appears."

Ash blushed at the remark, and continued on. " Oh no, I am. You see, i got a little mixed up this morning, and..."

"Alright, Ash," Oak interjected. "You can come up to my lab. I might have a Pokemon left."

"Thank you, Professor!" Ash cried. They left for the lab, leaving me standing there."Ah, well. I can wait." I said to myself.

Ash entered the lab, very excited to recieve a Pokemon. He stopped next to Professor Oak, looking at the three pokeballs that awaited on the table.

Well, Professor," He exclaimed, grabbing the ball. "I've thought about this long and hard, and i've decided to choose... Squirtle!" He opened it up, to reveal... it was empty.

"Already taken by someone who was on time," Oak remarked.

Ash put the Poke Ball back, and grabbed the next one. " No matter, then I'll take... Bulbasaur!" Again, it popped open, and was empty, just like the first.

The Professor spoke up again. "That one was also taken by a kid who was on time."

Ash gawked at the empty Poke Ball, before shaking his head, and grabbing the final choice.

"Third times the charm. I guess I'm left with... Charmander!" Again, it was empty.

Oak sighed, and said, "The early bird gets the worm; or in this case, the Pokemon."

Ash stared on blankly, not able to say anything. There wasn't a Pokemon for him? It broke his heart to think about it.

"Then all the Pokemon are gone?" Ash whispered, more to himself than to the Professor.

Oak noticed his disappointed face, and said in a somewhat unsure voice, "Well, I do have one more Pokemon. But..." Ash immediately perked up, and moved mere inches away from the older man, crying out "Professor, I'll take it!"

Oak sweatdropped at the boy's sudden change of attitude, and pressed a button on the side of the Poke Ball table. A Poke Ball rose up, with a tiny lightning bolt insignia right above the opening button.

"I should warn you, Ash, this last Pokemon is a bit... difficult."

"I don't care if it is, Professor," Ash cried indignantly. "I have to have a Pokemon!"

"Well, I suppose.." Oak handed the Poke Ball to Ash, who pressed the button quickly. A bright yellow light flashed, and a moment later, a small, rat-like creature stood on the table shaking its short yellow hair.

"Pikachu."

"It's name is Pikachu," Oak said.

"Oh!" Ash exclaimed, grabbing Pikachu. "He's the cutest of all. Hi, Pikachu!"

"Pika!" the rat grumbled, not liking how the trainer was getting so close. with a loud zap, it released a huge Thundershock into Ash, causing the boy to become rigid, several dozen volts of electricity running through his body.

"It's also know as an electric mouse," Oak shouted over the sound. "It's usually shy, but can sometimes have an "electrifying" personality."

The electricity stopped flowing, leaving Ash witha stupefied look on his face, as he mumbled, "You don't say..."

The Professor reached behind him, grabbing another Pokedex, and more Poke Balls. "These are your Pokedex and Poke Balls," he said, handing them to Ash. As the metal Pokedex passed between their hands, Pikachu released another bolt of energy, which ran through both of them.

"Thank y-y-you!" Ash yelled, to which Oak replied, "Y-y-your w-welcommmme!"

Ash and the Professor both stepped out of the building look like they had stuck their fingers in a light socket (which wasn't far from what actually happened). A crowd had gathered while Ash had been inside, a bunch of friends wanting to see him off. At the front was Ash's mom, holding a travelling knapsack. I had met her several times when Ash and I had hung out, and she was a very nice lady.

"Mom!" said Ash, stopping in the gate.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you," She answered. "You're finally starting your Pokemon training. I'll miss you so much." She raised the knapsack in front of her eyes, to wipe away the tears. She unzipped the top, and began pulling objects out at lightning speed, stacking them in Ash's arms.

"I packed your sneakers and jeans, nice clean shirts and underwear, and your favourite snacks, and some hot chocolate in case you want something hot, but be careful not to burn yourself, and a pair of rubber gloves to do your laundry, and a new clothes line to hang it out to dry, and.." "Mom, your embarrassing me!" Ash, who had been standing rather dumbly during his mother's list, had turned away, stopping her from stacking anymore items. "I'm a big kid now. Pokemon trainers can take care of themselves."

"I understand," she replied, before glancing down at Pikachu standing next to Ash. "**That's** your Pokemon?" She asked skeptically, while Pikachu replied witha say of his name.

"Yup, thats my Pokemon." Pikachu looked away at this, squeaking a "Pi" towards Ash. He didn't look very upset at this, and kept talking. "With Pkachu at my side, I'll get all the badges, and catch all the Pokemon in the world.

"That's sure to be a tough feat," I spoke up, having stayed quiet for so long. "Catching every Pokemon will be nigh impossible."

"Well I'll certainly try!" Ash answered confidently.

"I thought Pokemon stayed inside their Poke Balls," Ash's Mom said. "Why doesn't this one?"

"Oh, yeah." Ash grabbed Pikachu's Poke Ball, and attempted to return it to the ball. Each time he did, Pikachu would slap the ball away, squeaking. Ash finally gave up, grabbing the mouse off the ground and holding him up. "Pikachu and I are good pals." Pikachu looked at him witha look akin to loathing before Ash's mother said something that really set him off;

"But, he's a little weird..."

"Weird?" Ash said with a questioning look on his face. Pikachu shot a look of daggers at Ash's mom, before releasing a Thundershock, hitting everyone in the group, except Oak. I felt my hair stand on end as the lightning rushed, everyone yelling in pain.

"Those rubber gloves will do you good, Ash!" Oak yelled from behind the stone pillar.

"W-w-whyyyy?!" Ash yelled back. "Because rubber doesn't conduct electricity!"

The shock stopped, and everyone collapsed. Ash's mom spoke up, little stars in her eyes. "Don't forget to change your underwear. Every single day."

I got to my feet, and moved over to Ash.

"Come on, Soot-face, we're travelling together, at least until Viridian City."

"Sure."Ash replied, wiping the dust from his face. "I just need to change." He ducked behind a tree in the Professor's front yard to do so.

"This is gonna be fun," I muttered, glancing down the road that lead to Viridian City, and ultimately, our journey.

**Wow, that was tough! I had to type furiously to get that last bit done. But I'm glad i did.**

**I felt that my writing was borderline plagiarism at times, following the scenes word for word. i felt I did a good job, though. It may be a while before the next chapter, I want to make sure people actually like what I put out first. And in order to do that, I'd really love reviews! Anything you want; good reviews, bad rewiews, structured criticism, I don't care. I really hope people liked it.**

**One last thing I must mention is that this story's title might change. I'm not sure I like the current title, and I need time to think up a better one.**

**'Til next time, everybody! (Hopefully)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again, everyone! I present to you Chapter 2 of Pokemon: the Kanto Saga.**

**I am really proud with this chapter, to be honest. I did no copying of the anime in this one; this was all my originality. But you don't want me blathering like an idiot. Start reading.**

**Chapter 2**

Ash and I marched methodically up the hill heading north out of Pallet Town. I took the lead, walkng ten or so feet ahead. Ash dragged an extremely sullen Pikachu behind him at the end of the clothes line, using it as a leash. He wore the pair of bright pink rubber gloves his mother had packed him, to prevent Pikachu from shocking him anymore.

"Looks like you two are getting off to a _wonderful _friendship," I called back sarcastically.

"Shut it..." Ash answered quietly, before sighing exasperately and flinging down the leash.

"Geez, Pikachu! Do you really have THAT much of a problem with me as your trainer?" He half shouted, looking at the mouse for signs of an answer.

"Pi," Pikachu replied casually.

"You don't?" Ash questioned, looking confused. "But then why do you disobey me?"

"Pi Pika-chu kachu."

"Huh? You'd listen more if that leash wasn't tied to you?"

"Chu."

"Well, fine then," Ash answered, bending down to untie the knot.

"Uh, Ash?" I spoke up hesitantly. "Probably best if you didn't..." Too late. The knot came undone, and quick as a flash, Pikachu zipped off to a tall elm 20 yards away, hopping up the branches and coming to rest halfway up the tree.

"... Do that..." i finished meekly, moving over to him. Ash rushed to the tree, stopping directly beneath the branch Pikachu now rested on, and yelled up, "Get down here now, Pikachu!"

"Kachu," he said stubbornly, turning tail to Ash.

I approached Ash, and looked into the branches with disbelief.

"You know you just got conned by a Pokemon, right?" I said, a light smile playing on my lips.

"Yeah..." Ash said.

"Wellll... I'd love to stay and help you get him down," I said, turning away, "but I've got some Pokemon to catch."

"What?!" Ash cried. "You aren't gonna help?"

"It's not my problem," I replied casually. "Besides, I told you not to untie him."

"Guess you're right," Ash said dejectedly, looking up again. "Meet you at Virdian River in an hour?"

"You bet," I answered, as I jogged into the field of tall, dry grass across the road.

I continued walking far into the field. I could still her Ash roaring at Pikachu in the distance. I chuckled puliing Charmander's Poke Ball off of my belt.

"Char!" He cried as I released him, smiling widely at me. I smiled back.

"Okay, Charmander. We're gonna do a bit of training now." I explaimed to him. "And we're gonna see if we can catch a new friend. Understand?"

"Char mander, Charmander Char." He growled happily.

"I'll take that as a yes," I laughed, feeling I was already starting to grasp what Charmander was saying. "Okay Charmander, I want you to use Scratch on that bundle of grass there," I commanded, pointing towards it. He leapt forward, raising his right arm, his claws glowing a faint white. he lashed out, striking the grass with all his might. He looked expectantly at the grass, as less than half of the blades fell.

"Char..." He whimpered, looking back at me like he was expecting criticism. But his hurt expression changed to an odd one when he saw the huge grin on my face.

"That was awesome, Charmander!" I shouted, sprinting over to him.

"Char?" He asked.

"That's exactly what I wanted, Charmander," I explained, patting his head. "You did an amazing job."

"Char char Charmander." He disagreed, shaking his head.

"Of course you did," I insisted. "Remember, you're young, and haven't had any experience. For your level, that Scratch was powerful."

"Char char?" He asked, which i translated as, _You think so?_

"Yeah. And you'll get stronger and more experienced in time. That's what training's for, right?"

"Charmander."_ I guess so._

"Good. Now let's get some more training in, before we have to meet up with Ash."

I continued working with Charmander, helping him hone his Scratch attack. He got steadily better, and soon he was able to cut down up to 20 blades of grass at a time, missing only the occasional one.

"Doing great!" I called, watching him slice down another tuft. "I told you you would get better. How 'bout you take a break."

He cried his name gratefully, walking over and plopping down on the ground. I laughed and followed his lead. I pulled a sandwich out of my backpack, handing Charmander half. He said his thanks and began eating with gusto.

"I think..." I said, biting into the roast beef and bread, "that we've got your Scratch working pretty nicely. After this we're gonna start looking for a team mate. There are a lot of Pidgey and Rattata in this area, and having one would be helpful, don't you think?"

"Char," he agreed, having eaten his half of the sandwich.

"Alright then. Let's get looking."

Charmander and I began searching through the grass, trying to find a Pidgey or Rattata. We searched for 15 minutes, before I spotted a little brown bird, sitting comfortably in the grass, eating a worm.

"Bingo..." I whispered, waving Charmander over.

"Kay, Charmander," I said quietly. "Here's your first chance at an actual battle." He looked nervous for a split second, before growing confident again. "Remember, just do you best. Let's start off with Growl." Charmander let loose a huge growl, and the Pidgey turned towards him, taking the challenge. "Now Scratch, Charmander!" I yelled. He dashed towards his opponent, claws going again. He raked them across the bird Pokemon's chest, who let out a shriek of pain. But Pidgey wasn't done. It swooped low, and dug its talons into the dirt, flinging up sheets of sand into Charmander's face. _Uh oh, that's Sand Attack,_ I thought, growing worried. "Scratch it again!" I shouted, and Charmander did, knocking the Pidgey out of the air.

"YES!" I cheered, pumping my fist in the air. I reached to my belt, grabbing an empty Poke Ball, yelling "Poke Ball, go!" as I tossed it. It landed next to Pidgey, and the small Pokemon melted into light, getting sucked into the ball. It began to shake, back and forth. I watched with bated breath, praying it would stay. After a full minute, the center button flashed red, and a click echoed. I had caught Pidgey.

I stood still, lost for words. I then realized what had just happened, and proceeded to yell like a moron:

"YAHOOO!"

I dashed and grabbed my newly caught Pokemon, then picked up Charmander, swinging him around in pure joy.

"We did it, buddy! We caught a Pokemon!"

"Char char, Charmander!" He shouted as well, feeling just as happy. We continued to rejoice, until I stopped suddenly.

"Charmander?" He asked. _What's the matter?_

"I heard something, Charmander," I answered, turning in the direction of the road, which I now realized was half a mile away. I listened intently, trying to hear the noise again. Maybe I'd imagined it, or...

"AAAAHHH!"

I'd definitely heard it that time! I squinted, as I saw a figure dashing through the grass like the Devil was after him.

"Ash?" I said to myself in disbelief. "What the hell are you..."

"Don't talk, RUN!" He screamed, running right past me and Charmander, Pikachu directly behind him. I stared after him, wondering if he'd gone insane. Then I heard what had Ash running in terror:

"SQUAAWWK!" I whipped around, looking straight up into the sky. A huge flock of Spearow was flying in my direction, and they didn't look happy.

"Oh. That is SO not good!" I cried. I reached for Charmander's Poke Ball and shouted, "Charmander, return!" He vanished just like Pidgey had, making me wish that he and I could switch places. I then ran in pure fear, trying desperately to catch up with Ash.

Ash ran, still trying to comprehend how all of this had happened to him. Just 10 minutes before, he had still been trying to get Pikachu out of the tree.

_"Come on, Pikachu!" He pleaded. "At least help me catch a Pokemon!"_

_"Pi."_

_"Fine!" He yelled, giving up. "I don't need your help to catch a Pokemon anyway." He stopped, turning towards a noise he'd just heard. A Pidgey had walked out of the grass, hopping along without any worries._

_"Cool, a Pidgey!" He said excitedly, pulling out his Pokedex._

"Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokemon. Very docile. If attacked, it will often kick up sand to protect itself, rather than fight of its nature, Pidgey are usually the perfect Pokemon for a beginning trainer to catch.'

_"That's perfect!" Ash exclaimed. He pulled one of his Poke Balls off of his belt, and launched it at the Pidgey. "Let's go, Poke Ball!" He shouted softly. The Pidgey was absorbed into the ball. Almost as quick as he went in, the Pidgey was out again, ruffling its feathers grumpily, before running off._

_"Huh?" Ash said in bewilderment. Suddenly, a voice spoke up, and he looked down to see the Pokedex as what had spoke, even though he hadn't pressed any of the buttons._

'When attempting to catch a Pokemon, a trainer usually must weaken it by battling before throwing a Poke Ball.'

_Pikachu began to laugh at Ash from up in the tree._

_"Pi ka pi ka, Pikapi," He exclaimed finding it funny that Ash thought he could catch a Pokemon without his help._

_"Well, I didn't really want that Pokemon," he said, trying to defend himself._

_"Kachu, Pikapi," Pikachu replied. _Surrrre, Ash.

_"I didn't!" he yelled, turning back to his partner. He then noticed a small rat-like Pokemon digging in his bag, which he had flung at the base of the tree. The Rattata squealed in terror, and zipped off, one of Ash's sandwiches held firmly between his teeth._

_"That's my sandwich, you thief," he yelled, but the Rattata kept on going. Again the Pokedex piped up without be asked._

"Rattata, the Rat Pokemon. It bites anything when it attacks. Small and very quick, it is a common sight in many places. When an opportunitie arises, these Pokemon will come and steal food from the bags of _stupid _travelers.'

_Pikachu couldn't help it. That last sentence sent him into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. He began to roll on the branch, and then fell off with a startled "Pika!", landing at the base of the tree. Ash laughed at his fall, and turned back to the field. He noticed a tiny Pokemon moving about in the grass 10 yards away. He picked up a small rock, and tossed it at the creature. It struck the Pokemon squarely on the head, causing a huge goosebump to grow. It turned, and revealed itself as a Spearow._

_"Uh... That's a Sp-spearow," Ash stuttered, knowing how dangerous Spearow were. Without further notice_, _dozens of more Spearow rose out of the grass, forming a terrifying "thunderhead" in the sky. Ash did the only thing he could think of. He let out a yell of fear._

He continued running, the squawks of what seemed like a hundred Spearow coming from behind him. Adam dashed up next to him, keeping time with Ash. The two boys began to near a cliff, one that ran along the Viridian River. Two pathes branched to each side, leading up and down the river.

"You take the left," Adam yelled in his ear, "and I'll take the right!"

"Right!" Ash yelled back, as the two split up. Ash continued his mad dash. Several Spearow had caught up, and began to dig their beaks and talons into Ash and Pikachu. Pikachu began launching small jolts at the bird Pokemon, holding them off. Ash stopped abruptly, staring at the waterfall before him. He was at a dead end; he didn't have any other choice.

"Hop in my arms, Pikachu," Ash ordered. Pikachu did so instantly, not even thinking of disobeying the boy.

"Here goes." Ash jumped off the cliff, into the rushing water below. The current picked him up immediately, sending him quickly down the river, like he was a small piece of wood. He tucked his knees in tighter. The waves bashed him about, until the current slowed, and he came to a slow drift. His eyes popped open, and what he saw made him gasp, sending a jet of bubbles rising to the surface. A gigantic Gyarados was swimming directly in front of him. Ash looked about and saw three more Gyarados, swirling around him. None of the Gyarados cared enough to eat the small human child that had landed in their bay. But Ash was afraid and began to swim as fast as he could away from the Atrocious Pokemon.

A girl sat patiently on a rock overlooking the river, only 500 yards down the river from where Ash had just escaped the Gyarados. A fishing pole was held firmly in her hands, the lure bobbing gently on the water's surface. "Come on," she whispered, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Let me catch _something_ today." As if answering her wish, the hook snagged, sending the lure under.

"Yes!" She cried, jumping to her feet. "Finally I've got one." She began to tug on the pole, trying to reel whatever it was in. It wouldn't give, though.

"Ha ha!" She laughed, tugging harder. "I caught a big one!" With one last yank, she pulled the line out of the water. She looked up in surprise, seeing not a water-type Pokemon, but a boy, go sailing over her head. He landed roughly on the ground behind her, groaning. The girl stared at him, getting angry. Who was this kid? Didn't he know this part of the river was a fishing area?

"Hey! What's you're big idea, kid?" She yelled, marching towards him. She stopped however, hen she saw what was in the boys arms; a Pikachu that looked beaten pretty badly.

"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly, dashing over.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Ash said with a groan, before the girl stopped him harshly.

" Not _you._ You're Pokemon. It looks pretty injured."

"Huh?" Ash exclaimed, staring up at the girl in disbelief, getting his first good look at her. She had short, bright orange hair, tied in a Ponyta-tail on the side on her head. Her bright green eyes stared at Ash angrily, making him nervous. She was wearing a yellow short sleeve shirt, and thigh length jean shorts. A pair of red suspenders rested over her shoulders.

"WHAT are you staring at, kid?" She demanded, wondering why the boy had been looking at her for for so long.

"Huh?" Ash said again, shaking his head. "Uh, nothing."

"Yes you were," the girl insisted. "You were staring at me."

"No, I wasn't," Ash argued loudly. Then he stopped. "Who are you?" He asked curiously.

"My name's Misty," the girl, Misty, said stiffly. "Who are _you_?" She asked.

"My name is Ash," he replied.

"Well _Ash_, you obviously didn't hear what I said earlier. Look at your Pokemon."

"What?" Ash said, glancing down at Pikachu. He was beat up pretty badly, with huge scratches all over his body. His breathing was ragged, and Ash gasped loudly.

"Pikachu!" He cried, checking his friend over. "Quick, you gotta help me!" He said urgently to Misty. "Which way is the Viridian City Pokemon Center?"

"Uh, that way, through the forest," Misty answered, slightly taken back. She pointed towards the path. "But it's a couple miles from here."

"Oh no!" Ash yelled. "I'll never make it in time!" He glanced and saw the girl's bike, propped up at the base of the rock. He rushed over to it, and put Pikachu in the basket. He then hopped onto the bike. "I need to borrow this," he told her, starting to pedal off.

"Hey!" Misty screamed, dashing after him. "Give me back my bike!"

"I'll return it someday!" Ash yelled back, and then he was gone.

Misty began to fume, as steam literally poured out of her ears. That kid had taken her bike. He was gonna pay!

I dashed along, following the river. I had crossed the bridge moments before, having avoided most of the Spearow. I rushed to what I new was the road leading to Viridian City, and stopped. A girl my age was standing there, muttering angrily to herself. I jogged up, catching her attention. "Excuse me," I said, which caused her to turn and glare at me. I gulped and continued. "Did you see a boy about my age pass by here? Spiky black hair, Pokemon League cap, Pikachu with him?" The girl turned beet red at this description, and I figured it wasn't from embarrassment.

"You mean Ash?" She asked with icy anger.

"Yeah." I exclaimed. "He's a friend of mine. Have you seen him?"

The girl then exploded. "That FRIEND of yours," she yelled with fury, "STOLE MY BIKE!"

"Oh..." I said quietly, wincing at her outburst. "Well, that really wasn't my fault, so..."

"Yeah, yeah," she said exasperatedly. I turned back to the river and saw the huge column of Spearow flying our way.

"Uh, miss?" I said quietly.

"My name is Misty, kid."

"Uh, yeah, sure. We may want to hide."

"Why?" She growled, turning in my direction. As she did, her eyes slid up, spotting the livid bird Pokemon. Her mouth fell open.

"I think that's a good idea," she mumbled, diving into a large bush that had grown up against the rock. I followed her, jumping in just as the first Spearow flew overhead, heading for the forest.

"What are they so angry about?" Misty asked nervously.

"You can ask Ash that," I answered, "if he's alright after this."

Ash rode like his feet were on fire, praying he would reach Viridian City in time. A huge thunderstorm had begun, drenching him in a matter of seconds. The road grew muddier, making riding the bike extremely difficult for Ash. He hit a rock protruding from the ground suddenly, sending the bike flying through the air. He landed roughly, the bike on top of him. Pikachu rolled out of the basket, a sharp cry of pain escaping him.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled in terror at the condition of his partner. He started to crawl to him.

"Pi..." He whimpered.

Ash glanced back, and saw the Spearow drawing closer and closer.

"Come on, Pikachu," he whispered, tears running down his face. "Just get in your Poke Ball. You'll be safe in there."

"Pi...ka..ch-chu," Pikachu argued, stubborn to the end.

"Fine," Ash said, standing tall. He turned back to the Spearow, who had swarmed around the two of them.

"You listen here, Spearow!" Ash roared. "I am Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town! You won't harm me or Pikachu! Leave, or I'll capture you all!"

The Spearow ignored his threats, and started dive bombing the boy, pecking at him. He wave many away, knocking a few out of the air with his hands. But he began to get overwhelmed. He collapsed on one knee, trying to beat them away. He suddenly felt a weight on his left shoulder, and he turned, seeing Pikachu jump high into the air. With a wild yell, Pikachu drew a bolt of lightning from the sky, and launched a Thundershock at the birds. A pillar of yellow light rose, making the forest bright. The Spearow shrieked, and flew off in fear. As soon as it had started, Pikachu had finished, and landed next to Ash. He keeled over, the pain to great.

"You did it Pikachu," Ash said quietly, being in as much pain as his friend. "You defeated 'em."

"Pika, Pikapi." We _defeated 'em, Ash._

"Yeah," he mumbled, starting to lose consciousness. As his eyes closed, he saw a huge bird fly over them, sending the storm away. As Ash followed it with his eyes, it soared past the setting sun, vanishing into a newly formed rainbow.

"I wonder... what that was..." He asked himself, passing out.

**I am sooo evil. Leaving all you viewers with this cliffhanger. Bet you hate me now. **

**Please leave a review, and stay tuned for chapter 3.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, ladies and gentleman. I present to you Chapter 3.**

**I apologize sincerely for such a long wait. I've had some... disturbances, one of which was the fact that I had a major writer's block for a portion of this chapter. But now, it is done, and I feel loads better. Though, I am still a month plus behind my schedule on this story, so i'll be trying to get the next few chapters out quickly to catch up.**

**In unrelated news, I would like to thank tomwilliams1990 for the first official review on this story. I'd also like to thank anyone who has read this, and the four people who have favourited.**

**Without further ado, Chapter 3.**

**Chapter 3**

"What was that?"

Misty and I stared up into the sky with twin looks of disbelief on our faces. We had been dashing full-out, trying to catch up with Ash and the murderous Spearow. A bright golden beam of light had shot up a mile ahead, setting the forest aglow. It shone for about 5 seconds, before disappearing, leaving the forest as dark as it was before. Just as suddenly, the rain let up, the clouds vanished, and the setting sun came, shining off to our left.

"Yeah, that was strange," Misty agreed. Her face began to pale as she looked down the road in front of us.

"Adam?" She said timidly.

"Yeah?"

"The Sp-spearow are coming our way!" She said panickedly, tugging on my arm. Sure enough, the flock was heading towards us; but there was something different than before. Their flight was erratic, and their faces were... terrified.

"Adam! We have to hide!" Misty urged, still trying to pull me off the road.

"No... wait." I answered, standing firm. "Look, those Spearow aren't gonna attack us."

"What do you mea-" She stopped as they flew overhead, not casting a single glance at us. They continued down the road we had just come, shrieking as they vanished in the distance. Misty stared after them, almost like she was expecting them to turn around and come our way again.

"What was all that about?" She said in bewilderment, turning back to look at me for an answer. "I have no idea," I said. "But that was even weirder than the light."

"Yeah. Come on, your friend is probably close!" she cried, continuing to run. I followed after her, hoping that Ash was all right.

We arrived in a small clearing, coming to a halt as we saw him. He was on the ground unconscious, the charred frame of Misty's bike lying a few feet away. Pikachu was next to him, also passed out. The ground was churned up around them, and patches of grass were burnt away.

"Ash!" I yelled, running up to him, Misty right behind me. I knelt down, and put my finger on his neck, begging for a heartbeat. for a few seconds I felt nothing, and I began to panic. _No. No! Come on, where are you, heartbeat!_ I screamed mentally. Then I felt it; a faint thump against my fingertips. _Thump-thump, thump-thump._ I breathed a heavy sigh of relief, glad he was still alive.

"His heartbeat is low," I informed Misty.

"So is Pikachu's," she said, barely containing the tremble in her voice.

"Come on. We need to get them to the Viridian Pokemon Center; It's still a mile or so away. You grab Pikachu and your bike."

"Alright," she said, bundling the small rodent into her arms. "How are you gonna carry Ash, though?"

"Well, the adrenaline will help," I answered, grabbing Ash by the waist. With a grunt, I slung him over my shoulder, and rose to my feet. I wobbled slightly, then gained my balance properly.

"Let's go." Misty grabbed the bike and hoisted it over her own shoulder. With a nod, we continued to run in the direction of Viridian City.

Night had fallen as we exited the forest, coming out on to the side of a highway. Viridian City was sprawled out ahead, shining brightly. The highway twisted in from our right (leading back to Pallet Town), and continued forward into the city. A large sign rose next to the road, stating that Viridian City was near. A few cars passed by as I doubled over, panting heavily from the running. Misty appeared next to me, her face almost as red as her hair.

"We're... almost.. there," I gasped, trying to take in huge gulps of air.

Misty continued to wheeze, and just pointed towards the city, not even trying to say anything. We continued the run, the sounds of our laboured breaths echoing in the darkness. My lungs were on fire, but I had to get Ash to the Pokemon Center quickly. I looked back at Misty, still chugging along behind me. I passed a small building, barely glancing up. A second later, I felt a hand grab the back of my collar. I jerked back with a yelp, and crashed into Misty.

"Ow!" I cried, looking at the person standing over us. It was an Officer Jenny, a scowl planted on her face, her teal hair pulled back into a spiky bun.

"And _where_ do you think _you're _going?" Jenny demanded.

"My friend is injured badly, officer!" I exclaimed. "He and Pikachu were attacked by a flock of Spearow, and there was a yellow light, and…"

"Alright, alright," Jenny interjected, hauling me and Misty to my feet. "We need to get them to the Pokemon Center immediately. Follow me you two." She led us towards the garage attached to the police outpost. We passed by a bulletin board on the side of the building, where a small poster was nailed. _Wanted Pokemon Thieves_, the sign read, with two pictures under it. The one was of a woman in her mid-twenties, with magenta hair and a white jacket. a large red "R" was imprinted on the front of her jacket. The other picture was of a man about the same age, with periwinkle hair hanging over green eyes, and a blue rose in his hand. He had the same kind of jacket as the woman. Underneath the pictures was a notice;_ if you see these people, please call the authorities,_ with the police station phone number below.

"Who are those two?" I asked.

"Thieves of Team Rocket," Officer Jenny answered, unlocking the garage. "They've been stealing here in Viridian for a few weeks now, and they've still managed to evade us." She slid the door open, revealing the police car parked there. She pointed at Misty, and said, "you, put that bike in the trunk. _You_," she pointed at me this time, "put him in the back seat." Misty and I obeyed, and then hopped into the car.

"Let's go, quick," the officer said, slamming her foot to the gas pedal. As the car sped off, a small hook on a rope descended from the sky, and latched onto the top corner of the wanted poster. With a rip, the paper went flying up.

High in the air, a hot air balloon drifted across the sky. The paper flew up into the basket, and the man grabbed it, staring at it with distaste.

"Look at this picture, Jessie," He drawled, gesturing to the woman next to him. "They didn't even take a good picture of me."

"Be thankful they didn't, James," the magenta haired Rocket member answered, swiping the paper from his hands. "Luckily the police force in this city is to incompetent to catch us."

"Of course," he replied, sniffing the blue rose in his hand. "And they won't know what hit them when we make off with the Pokemon at the Pokemon center tonight."

"Yeah." A voice came from the bottom of the basket, or more specifically, the Meowth sitting there. "We'll be long gone from dis city by da time the police know we even stole da Pokemon."

"Exactly," Jessie and James said together, laughing maniacally.

We arrived at the Pokemon center a short while later. The car drifted into the parking lot, and Jenny leapt out the door.

"Let's get them inside!" she cried, grabbing Ash from the backseat. Misty hopped out with Pikachu still in her arms, and we dashed to the front doors of the center. We burst in, startling the Nurse Joy at the front desk. She stood, looking at the injured Ash and Pikachu.

"Officer Jenny!" she exclaimed, rushing over. "What happened to these two?"

"I'm not entirely sure. These kids know the full story. But they need immediate attention."

"Right," the nurse said, dashing over to her computer. "We need a human sized cart and a cart for a small electric Pokemon right away!" She said into the microphone. A moment later, two carts came from down the hallway, being pushed by two Chansey.

"Okay, put them on the beds," Nurse Joy said. Jenny placed Ash on the larger of the two, and Misty put Pikachu on the other. The Chansey wheeled them away, and Joy followed them. "You two can wait in over there," she said, pointing to the line of seats against the wall. "I'll let you know when they start to feel better."

"Okay," Misty said, moving over to the chairs. I nodded at the nurse, too tired to speak, and turned to follow Misty. We both collapsed into our seats, and fell into silence.

Officer Jenny reappeared, and glanced at Misty. "I put your bike outside," she explained. "I have to go now, but I hope your friend is all right." She said to me. I looked up, and offered a weary smile. "Thank you for helping us, Officer Jenny."

She let out a tiny laugh. "It's my job," she said simply, and left.

Our time in the waiting room was uneventful. Seconds drawled by as if they were hours. Misty and I sat in silence, partly because we had nothing to say, and partly because, if we _had_ anything to say, we were too tired to say it. Finally, after what seemed like several days, Misty spoke up timidly.

"Adam?" "Yeah?" I answered, looking over to her.

She began to wring her hands nervously, looking down. She tried to say something, but nothing came out. She swallowed hard, and said, "Uh, I.. I'm sorry about freaking out at you earlier. You know, when you asked me if I'd seen Ash?"

I smirked slightly, remembering the incident that had happened only a few hours ago, but felt so distant. "It's fine," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "You had your bike taken. It was understandable." Then I gave her a funny look. "You don't strike me as someone who apologizes often," I remarked. She smiled sheepishly, looking down. "I don't," she admitted. "I-" She was cut short as the medical room doors dinged, and Nurse Joy came out, supporting a dazed Ash.

I immediately jumped up, and rushed over to the boy.

"You're all right Ash!" I exclaimed, clapping him on the back. He winced as my hand hit.

"Yes, there's no damage to him," Nurse Joy explained. "It seems he fell unconscious from a large amount of electricity running through him."

I raised my eyebrows. "How exactly did that happen, Ash?"

"I'm kinda having trouble remembering," he said. A look of panic flashed across him. "Wait! What about Pikachu, Nurse Joy?"

Joy frowned slightly. "Well, he isn't awake yet. He was injured heavily from that Spearow attack, and he then wasted almost all of his stored electricity shocking them. That made him very weak. But he's doing considerably better since he was brought in."

"Well, that's good," Ash sighed.

Joy smiled, and said, "I'll let you know when he's awake." before leaving the waiting room again.

"So..." I said, glancing at my friend. "Pretty eventful first day of your journey, eh, Soot-face?"

"You can say that agai-"

"**YOU!**"

Our heads shot towards the noise, which had come from Misty. She had grabbed her bike from outside in the time we had been talking, and began to storm towards Ash. "If you weren't just unconscious I'd beat you up!"

"Huh?" Ash exclaimed in bewilderment. "What happened to your bike?" This angered Misty even more.

"_YOU _happened to my bike, you loser! Burnt to a crisp after you stole it to save your Pokemon! You're gonna pay for- whoa!" Misty lost her balance, and collapsed to the ground. I jumped forward, helping her back to her feet.

"Calm down, Misty," I tried, taking the bike off her shoulder.

"Calm down?! He _destroyed _my bike!"

"Yeah, you've mentioned that already," I sighed. "And Ash _will _replace your bike. _Right_ Ash?" I shot him a look that said, _don't argue, dude, she's_ _about to murder you._ Ash nodded, understanding. "I'll replace your bike, I promise." His head dropped. "But I can't do anything for you until Pikachu is better."

The scowl vanished from Misty's face, and she looked down with shame. She spoke in a low voice. "Oh. I missed what Nurse Joy told you. Is he going to be all right?"

Ash looked towards the emergency room door, which was still closed. "I'm not sure. They said he lost a lot of electricity scaring the Spearow away."

I put my hand on Ash's back in comfort. "Pikachu will be fine, Ash. We just have to wait." I glanced at the row of video phones against the wall, and a thought struck me. "Hey! We need to call our moms!" I exclaimed.

"You're right," Ash said slowly, following me to the phones. I sat down at the first one, and dialed in my home number. The phone rang for a few seconds, and my mother's voice came through the receiver.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Hey mom, it's me!"

"Adam?" She cried, and a second later her face appeared on the monitor. "It's good to see you! You're in Viridian City already?"

"Yeah," I answered, smiling widely. "I promised you I'd call when I got here, so..."

"Yes, that's wonderful!" She said gleefully. "I'm glad you did. I know you won't be able to call much from now on, since you'll be on the road a lot, so I just want to say "I love you", and good luck!"

"Thanks mom. I love you too. Bye."

"Bye, sweetie!" _Click_.

I glanced over at Ash, who was just finishing his call.

"Be sure to change your underwear, Ashy," I heard his mom's voice faintly through the phone.

"I will, mom," Ash replied, putting the phone down.

I let out a loud snicker at that, and Ash's face and neck turned scarlet. He swung his fist half-heartedly at me, and I dodged easily. "Shut up, Adam!" he shouted, turning to storm away. I let out a burst of laughter and went to follow him, but stopped. He was standing like a statue, staring intently at the wall behind the front desk. A huge mural was painted there, with four ancient looking pictures of Pokemon.

"What's the matter, Ash?" I asked, moving next to him.

"I-I saw that Pokemon," he said, pointing to the upper right picture. "It flew over me and vanished into the rainbow, before I passed out." I observed the picture, which resembled a large bird with a huge crest on its head. "I'm pretty sure that's Articuno, Ash. It lives in the far north, and in cold places. I don't think that's what you saw."

"Then what did I see?"

"Hmmm..." I put my finger to my chin. "I don't know, to be honest."

A ding came from our right, as the emergency room doors hissed open. Nurse Joy walked out, wheeling a small medical bed, upon which rested Pikachu. Ash immediately rushed over, crying his partner's name joyously.

"You're alright!" He said, looking down at the small rodent. He still looked rather beaten, and had several nicks and scratches over his body. He let out a tired "Pika" in Ash's direction, and closed his eyes again.

Nurse Joy smiled at Ash's reaction, and said, "Yes, your Pikachu will be just fine. He just needs a bit of rest, so he can store a bit of electricity up again."

"That's great," said Misty, who began to walk towards. I realized she hadn't been around for the past ten minutes or so.

"Where were you?" I asked.

"Bathroom," she replied casually. "It's good that your Pikachu is better," she said to Ash.

"Thanks," he said, "I'm really glad he's alright t-"

All of a sudden, an ear splitting siren started up, cutting Ash short. The voice of Officer Jenny rang out, loud and authorative. "Attention all citizens, we have located the Pokemon thieves in this area! Please stay inside, and keep watch on all Pokemon. I repeat, stay inside, and keep a watch on all Pokemon!" The speaker hissed out, leaving us standing in awkward silence. Nurse Joy spoke up, in a somewhat timid voice; "Pokemon thieves?"

A large crashing noise came, and we spun around. The sun roof had shattered in, and two Poke Balls flew through the hole. They landed amongst the shards, and opened with a red light. Two Pokemon appeared; a long, purple snake, and a soccer ball shaped Pokemon with dopey eyes and a skull-and-crossbones pattern on its front.

"Ekans-s-s-s-s..." the snake hissed, coiling itself.

"Koffing!" the other one bellowed, as it began to release thick clouds of purple gas from its pores. We all started coughing, and I said in a choked voice, "what's happening?"

"Allow me to answer that," a male voice said. Three shadowy figures stepped through the smoke. One was a man in his mid-twenties, with periwinkle blue hair. To his left was a stuck up looking woman with a bright magenta hair, sticking out in a large "C" shaped do behind her. In between them was a small cat Pokemon with a large gold charm on his forehead. I recognized them as the thieves on the wanted poster.

"Hey! You're those two Rocket crooks!" I yelled angrily.

The man gave a crooked smirk. "At least someone recognizes us."

The woman let out a laugh. "Allow us to introduce ourselves properly. Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!" the man said.

"To protect the world from devastation!" The woman continued.

"To unite all peoples within our nation!" That was the man's line.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!" she said, louder this time.

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie," said the woman. "And James," he said.

"Team Rocket blasting off at the speed of light!" they cried in unison. "Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

The cat Pokemon spoke up, much to our amazement, and said, "Meowth, dat's right!"

We stood silent, staring at the two; sorry, three, thieves. Ash broke the silence, and muttered, "What are they talking about?"

Misty, Nurse Joy and I all sweat-dropped at this dense statement. "They're here to steal the Pokemon, Ash," I answered.

"What?! You're not going to steal my Pikachu!" he yelled at Team Rocket, stepping in front of the cart. Jessie gave a snort. "We never said we wanted to steal your electric rat. It would be pointless to steal such a useless Pokemon."

"Pikachu isn't useless!" Ash yelled again.

"So you think," James countered. "But it doesn't matter. We only want to steal rare and strong Pokemon."

"But this Center is for injured and weak Pokemon," Nurse Joy objected.

"That may be true," said Jessie, "But there are always those gems amongst the garbage."

"You're starting to bug me…" Ash said lowly.

"You hear that?" James said to the other two. "The twerp says he's bugged."

Meowth grinned. "Then let's squash 'em!"

"Ekans, Koffing attack!" They shouted. The two poison Pokemon cried their names, and launched towards us. More clouds of poison began pouring out of Koffing, filling the room again.

"Come on!" I yelled. "This way!" We darted off to the right, away from the thieves. The two Pokemon crashed into the front desk behind us, and ripped the wires to pieces, sending showers of sparks up. Farther down the hallway we ran, the Pokemon hot in pursuit. We came to a door with a sign that said "Poke Ball Storage Room" above it. I slammed my hand down onto the button, and it hissed open. We piled into the room and I slid the door closed at the last possible moment. I put my ear to the door, listening for them.

"Koff-koffing." I heard Koffing muffled through the door.

"Ekans-s." The snake replied. A moment later, I heard the sound of Ekans' body slithering away. I turned back to the other three. "We're safe in here."

A second later, the lights flashed dangerously, and went out. The room was pitch-black.

"The lights!" Misty cried.

"They must have cut the power," Nurse Joy answered.

"What do we do then?" Ash said nervously.

"It's no problem," Joy replied. "We've got our own Pika-power!"

"Pika-power?" I asked.

"Yes, we have a team of Pikachu to run the backup generators in case there's a power outage."

"Well that's good."

Nurse Joy moved towards the generator, and started it up. A few moments later, the lights sparked back on, and I got a look at the room. It was filled completely with ceiling high shelves, which housed hundreds, if not thousands of Poke Balls. Nurse Joy turned back to the three of us.

"We have to start getting these Poke Balls transported to Pewter City," she explained. "Start grabbing them off the shelves."

"We're on it," we said, each of rushing to different shelves.

I began to pile the Poke Balls into my arms, taking as many as possible. I turned back to Joy, who had set up the transporter. "Okay, we've got the first few coming your way," she said into the microphone.

"We're ready to receive," a female voice answered.

I started placing the Poke Balls on the conveyor belt, and they moved slowly towards the transporter. As the hit the beam, they would flash, and disappear. The three of us continued gathering the spheres from the shelves and bringing them to Nurse Joy.

"We're almost done," Ash remarked.

"Yeah, only a few _hundred_ more," I said sarcastically.

A horrible screech wrenched us from gathering. The door collapsed in on itself, and the Koffing and Ekans flew into the room. In stepped Jessie and James behind them.

"I'd stop what you're doing," James commanded.

"No way!" Misty shouted. She reached for her belt, turning back to Ash as she did.

"Take Pikachu and get out of here, Ash!" she ordered. "_I_ can handle these two."

Ash nodded, and rushed the cart away, through the other doorway.

"You too, Adam," Misty continued.

"Nuh-uh," I answered. "I'm helping you with this one." I reached to my own belt, and grabbed Charmander's Poke Ball.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"Kay, let's go Charmander!" I cried out, tossing the orb. "You're up, Staryu!" Misty said at the same time.

The Poke Balls bounced, and opened in a flash of white light.

"Char." Charmander looked up at me, as if asking why he'd been crammed in the Poke Ball for almost 12 hours.

"Hyah!" Misty's Staryu hollered.

Jessie grinned at our Pokemon's appearance. "It seems someone wants a battle."

"Well then we'll give them one, Jessie."

"Use Poison Gas, Koffing!" James barked.

"And use Wrap on that Staryu, Ekans!" Jessie shrieked.

The two poison types launched towards us.

"Get out of the way, Staryu!"

Misty's command came too late, as Ekans landed and began to coil tightly around the star shaped Pokemon. It started to struggle, but Ekans couldn't be shaken loose.

"Quick Charmander, use Scratch on Ekans," I ordered. He leapt towards them, his claws glowing just like when we trained earlier. He came within reach, and dragged his arm down across Ekans' belly. It hissed in pain, and released Staryu for a fraction of a second. Misty immediately took the opportunity, and called, "Swift, Staryu!"

A wave of white stars shot out from the gem on Staryu's chest, and collided with Ekans. Ekans slid along the floor, back towards Jessie. At that moment, Koffing, who had vanished in the time being, came in from my left and slammed into Charmander full force. Charmander whimpered at the impact, and crashed to the ground.

"Get up, Charmander," I urged.

With a growl, he crawled to his feet again. He shot a death glare towards Koffing, who had drifted back in front of James.

"Good job, Charmander!"

"Char." He stood still, focusing intently. A second later, he opened his mouth wide, and hundreds of tiny red coals shot from it. They flew towards our opponents, and engulfed them completely. I stared in amazement and sheer joy.

"Great, buddy! You learned Ember!"

"Char char!"

The embers had died down, and Jessie, James and the two Pokemon got up, covered in soot and tiny burns. I then noticed that Meowth wasn't with them.

"Where is he?" I demanded.

James frowned a little. "I would have thought he wouldn't realize 'til later. I guess it's time to retreat, Jessie."

"You're right, James."

The two of them recalled Ekans and Koffing quickly, and turned tail through the door.

"Come on!" I said to Misty, as I started to chase after them.

We followed them down the hallway we came down originally, leading back to the main lobby. As we entered the lobby, I saw Ash, attempting to fend off Meowth. The cat was scratching wildly, trying to get towards Pikachu.

"Ash!" We yelled frantically, as Jessie and James came in to help Meowth.

"Huh?" He turned in our direction, and in his hesitance, Meowth landed a cut to his stomach. He fell to his feet with a groan.

"Heh heh," Meowth chuckled. "Now we can- huh?"

He glanced in our direction, and his mouth fell open. Me and Misty turned, and saw a wave of Pikachu rushing down the hallway. They zoomed past us, and moved between Ash and Meowth. Their cheeks started to crackle, and I realized what they were going to do.

"Ash, get out of the way!" I screamed. He knew what was going to happen at the same moment, and dove to the side.

The Pikachu all fired their ThunderShocks at the same time, launching them in the direction of Team Rocket. They yelled as the bolts struck, flashing through them. The lightning engulfed Pikachu's cart at the same time. Ash's Pikachu began to look healthier, and he rose to his hind legs. The ThunderShocks dissipated.

"Ow, _dat_ hurt," Meowth groaned. He glanced up, and saw Pikachu glaring at him.

"Uh oh."

James and Jessie noticed, and gulped. Pikachu seemed to grin at them, as his cheeks crackled dangerously.

"Pi-ka… CHUUUU!" The lightning hit them again, with enough force to blow them through the sunroof above. They soared away, cursing us as they did.

"Good job, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, hugging the mouse.

"Pika!"

Misty and I rushed over to Ash.

"Well, that was interesting," I remarked. The two of them chuckled at the comment.

Nurse Joy appeared from down the hallway.

"Thank you for saving the Pokemon Center, you three," she said happily.

"It wasn't much problem," I answered.

"You should probably get going," she continued.

"Why?" Misty questioned.

"Because this center is exactly safe for you stay in," Nurse Joy explained. "You'd be better off on the road. Besides, it's almost 4:30; the sun's going to be rising soon."

"It's almost 4:30!?" I said in disbelief. "It didn't feel like that long... You're right Nurse Joy, we should probably start going."

"But we haven't had any sleep…" Ash complained.

"You had plenty of rest when you were unconscious, Ash," I answered. "And we can always sleep later on."

"And It'd be best to get some walking in," Misty added. "It'll take a long time to get through Viridian Forest."

Ash grumbled, and said, "Fine."

We gathered up our things quickly, and, with many waves and goodbyes to Nurse Joy, continued our traveling.

Several hours had past, and Officer Jenny had since arrived at the demolished Pokemon Center. Nurse Joy found a working video phone, and called ahead to Pewter City.

"Hello, Pewter City Pokemon Center, how can I help you?" a woman's voice said after a few rings.

"It's me, sis," the Viridian City Joy said.

"Emmy?" she answered. The screen turned on, and she shouted, "It is you, Emmy! How have you been? Why are you calling?"

"I've been fine. And I'm calling to let you know that there are three kids coming to Pewter."

"Really? When will they be here?"

They just left for the Viridian Forest an hour or two ago, so... a week, perhaps?"

"Okay sis, I'll keep my eyes peeled for them."

"Thanks."

**And that's that. Again I mention, the upcoming chapters will be up, with luck fairly quickly. And, I feel like I'm begging when I say this, but I'd love for you to review.**

**Good day.**


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